Feed-water heater and purifier



No Model.) T GUNNING FEED WATER HEATER AND PURIPIER.

0. 599;;Q83. Patented Mar. 1,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

THOMAS GUNNING, or rrrrsnune, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED-WATER HEATER AND PURIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 599,983, dated March1, 1898.

v Application filed June 25,1897. $erial1l'o. 642,324. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS GUNNING, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Feedater Heaters and Purifiers; and I do herebyde clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements infeed-water heaters and purifiers for steam-boilers.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and inexpensive meansfor heating feed-water up to a high degree of temperature, so as toprecipitate all scale-forming particles and then removing the latterfrom the water before it enters the boiler, the water when entering thelatter being at boiler temperature, thus efiecting a great saving infuel not only by avoiding any reduction in the boiler temperature by theinflow of water, but by reason of the fact that scale or incrustationcannot form on the boiler-shell.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a view in side elevationshowing but a portion of the boiler-furnace, the boiler proper beingshown broken away and the filter in vertical longitudinal section. 1

Referring to the drawing, A designates a furnace of any preferred form,(only a port-ion thereof being shown,) a the boiler-shell, and a thestack leading from the furnace.

l 3 islthe feed=water*pipe, which leads from a pump. (Not shown.) Withinthe stack a it is formed into a coil 1) to obtain the benefit of theheat of the gases passing from the furnace. Outside of the stack thepipe B has a check-valve b to prevent back pressure on the pump. Fromthe coil 1) the pipe B is extended outward and thence throughastuffing-box b down into the steam-space of boiler-shell a. This pipe isthen extended longitudinally within the latter to near the full lengththereof and thence out through a second stuffing-box b The pipe B isthen extended and opens into a filter 0. By thus passing the pipe Blongitudinally through the steam-space of the boiler and coiling itwithin the stack the feed Water is heated to a high degree oftemperature. It'is well known that water must be heated up to 280 inorder to precipitate scale making particles, and some ingredients can'-not be separated at less than about 320 of heat; but by arranging thepipe in the manner stated the water is so heated that all foreignparticles-that is, all that will tend to form a scale or incrustation onthe boilershellare precipitated. The next step in my present inventionis to separate these precipi tated particles from the water and thusprevent them from entering the boiler.

The filter 0 comprises a cylindrical casing 01, having upper and lowerheads (1 (P, which are riveted to the casing and strengthened by tworods (1 pivoted to the under side of the upper head d, their lower endsbeing extended through openings in the lower head 01 and provided withnuts d WVithin the upper portion of casing cl is the coiled steampipe D,which leads by a branch D from the steam-dome e of the boiler andreturns to the latter above the water-line by a branch D The extreme endD of the steam-pipe branch D is held to the boiler-shell by a flangedplate e. Live steam is constantly circulating through the coil and thebranches D D and is returned direct to the boiler. This coil is-held inplace by cross-rods 6 secured to uprights e resting at their lower endson an angle-iron e riveted to the interior of the casing d.

E is the'filt-ering-bed, preferably composed of pulverized or groundgranite. It rests upon a header f, which consists of a perforated platef, having an angle-iron f rivetedto the casing d. On this perforatedplate is a series of wire screens f which are held by any suitablemeans. The filtering .material is introduced through'a hand-hole f 4 inthe casing immediately above the angleiron 6 Aseoond hand-hole f in thelower portion of the casing permits the lower head being cleaned bybrushing or scraping. A

perforated spray-pipe f is extended transversely into the casing throughthe filteringbed, being supported at its inner end by a By opening avalve f water may plate f be admitted through this pipe f to effectagitation in the filtering-bed.

The feed-water pipe B has a branch f which opens into the top of easingcl, so that the water will pass down the space within the coil ofsteam-pipe, through the filteringbed, into the lower portion of easingd, and thence out through a pipe F, which leads to the boiler-shell,opening into the steam-space thereof, said pipe being secured to theshell by a flanged plate g. In this pipe, adjoining the shell, is anelbow 9, wherein is a small check-valve g to prevent back pressure.

It will be seen that not only is the heat of the feed-water maintainedas it passes into the filter, but all the precipitated scale-formingparticles are removed therefrom before it passes to the boiler. Toeffect the cleansing of the boiler, the operator closes a valve 9 inpipe-branch f and opens a valve 9 in the lower branch 9 of pipe B, whichopens direct into the lower end of easing d. The water will then risethrough the filtering-bed and pass out through a waste-pipe g, the valve9 thereof being opened. The operator then closes valve 9 and opens valve9 allowing the water to pass down through the filter and out through avalved pipe 9 opening into the lower head (Z In this way every now andthen the filter is freed of the accumulated precipitated scale-formingparticles.

The advantages of my invention are apparent to those skilled in the art.In the first place it results in a great saving of fuel, since thetemperature of the boiler is not reduced when the water enters therein,as it has been previously heated to boiler heat; secondly, no scale orincrustation being possible of forming on the boiler-shell extra fuelfor maintaining the necessary temperature is not required.

Another advantage lies in the fact that explosion of the boiler isrendered absolutely impossible. This is not so when cold or even coolwater is supplied to the boiler, and crystallization and contraction areavoided.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a boiler-shell, of asingle continuous feed-water pipe extended longitudinally through thesteam-space thereof for heating the feed-water to boiler temperature andprecipitating scale-forming particles, a filter with which said pipeconnects, a pipe leading from said filter to the steamspace of saidboiler-shell, and a steam-pipe within said filter leading from andreturning to the steam-space of said boiler-shell, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination with a furnace having a stack, and a boiler-shell, ofa single continuous feed-water pipe coiled in said stack and extendedlongitudinally through the steamspace of said boiler-shell for heatingthe feedwater to boiler temperature and precipitatin g scale-formingparticles, a filter with which said pipe connects, a pipe leading fromsaid filter to the steam-space of said boiler-shell, and a steam-pipewithin said filter leading from and returning to the steam-space of saidboiler-shell, substantially as set forth.

3. In a feed-water heater and purifier, a casingthaving upper and lowerend heads and an inner header provided with a perforated plate, afiltering-bed resting on said header, a perforated spray-pipe extendedtransversely into said casing through said filtering-bed, a valvedwater-pipe opening into the upper and lower ends of said casing, outletpipes, a steam-pipe within said casing above said filtering-bed, andsecuring-rods pivoted to said upper end head and projected through saidlower end head, substantially as set forth.

4. The filter herein described comprising the casing, upper and lowerheads, rods eonnectin g the latter, a coil of steam-pipe located withinsaid casing, uprights having cross-rods supporting said coil, anangle-iron on which said uprights rest, a header having a perforatedplate, screens on the latter, and a series of valved outlet pipes, handholes being formed in said casing, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a boiler-shell, of a single continuousfeed-water pipe extended longitudinally through the steam-space thereof,a easing into which said pipe opens, a steam-pipe leading from andreturning to the steam-space of said boiler-shell and coiled within saidcasing,the other end of said steampipe opening into the steam-space ofsaid boiler-shell, a filtering-bed within said casing, a pipe leadingfrom said casing and opening into the steam-space of said boiler-shell,and a check-valve in said pipe adjacent to the boiler-shell,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS GUNNING.

lVitnesses:

CHAS. SCHLEGEL, J AS. II. PAGE.

